Climate resilience is the act of predicting, preparing for and responding to changes in the climate and it is the focus of both the Region of Waterloo’s Corporate Climate Adaptation Plan and The Intact Centre for Climate Adaptation.
“We’re going to develop a plan that will evaluate the risk posed to infrastructure by the changing climate and then determine any necessary adaptations to protect those assets,” Laurie Wells, manager of special projects & strategic initiatives at the Region of Waterloo, said.
“This means, starting now, to identify budget for and implement de-risking capital assets to prepare for warmer weather and wilder weather,” she said.
Changes made based on the assessment of risks to infrastructure may include building new structures above the floodplain, installation of permeable pavement in flood areas, making building more watertight or installing alarms on sump pump systems.
For example, Sunnyside Long-Term Care Home in Kitchener now has full backup power in case of extreme weather events and other buildings are getting increased generator capacity in case of power failures.
The region’s emergency management team has also partnered with municipalities and first responders. One result of this partnership is mock scenarios that train for situations like flooding.
“We’re taking a lot of steps to understand and plan for climate change through event monitoring, training, studies and implementing long term measures,” Wells said.
“We develop guidance, tools and resources that help various stakeholder groups first understand climate related risk from extreme weather events, and then put in place measures that will reduce risk from extreme weather,” Caroline Metz, managing director climate resilience and health at the Intact Center, said.
“The main extreme weather hazards that we focus on are flooding, wildfire and extreme heat,” she said.
The Intact Center has created several infographics and guides to help people mitigate the impact of climate change on their lives, businesses and communities. They focus on providing recommendations that are cost-effective, meaningful and straightforward.
Some actions the Intact Center recommends homeowners take include clearing leaves and debris from eaves and downspouts and extending any downspouts at least two meters from the home. Those with below-ground windows are encouraged to buy window well covers to decrease the chances of foundation-level flooding.
For businesses, it is encouraged that all expensive equipment that would be damaged by exposure be kept above flood level. It is also encouraged that there be procedures and plans in place in case of an emergency.
More information about these recommendations and other advice about preparing for the effects of climate change can be found on the Intact website.
“The message that we try to convey is that people don’t have to be at the mercy of extreme weather or victims of circumstance—that there’s a lot that individual, homeowners, communities, businesses, industry associations can do to help build protection and create more resilience on their properties,” Metz said.
As we venture into the uncertainty of a future impacted by climate change, it is important to know that there are things individuals, companies, and the region can do and are doing to mitigate climate change’s impact.
Leave a Reply